Jeep Renegade

The Car Connection Jeep Renegade Overview

The Jeep Renegade is a compact utility vehicle based on the same underpinnings as the new Fiat 500X. Jeep's small SUV can be outfitted as a much more rugged vehicle, while the Fiat is equipped for all-weather traction and urban utility.

The Renegade joins an increasingly crowded market of small and carlike, yet tall and often boxy utility vehicles—such as the Subaru XV Crosstrek, Nissan Juke, Honda HR-V, and the Mazda CX-3.

For 2017, the Renegade is essentially carried over aside from some minor trim shuffling and new HID headlamps after hitting the market as an all-new model last year.

The Renegade throws out both the very creased, angular look of products like the Patriot and Liberty and the somewhat softer look of the Compass, Grand Cherokee, and new Cherokee. Instead it strikes up a new look that is chunky and rugged-looking, yet sophisticated and just a little playful. With its blunt slotted grille and somewhat upright windshield, the Renegade nods to Jeep tradition; its curved rear flanks and its low beltline are anything but traditional.

Inside, the Renegade is less radical in its design statement. It's a subtle look, but one that's finished with plenty of soft-touch materials around the front seats, plus some body-color details.

With an overall length of 167 inches, the Renegade is slightly longer than a Wrangler, but over a half-foot shorter than the Patriot. It manages to offer interior volume similar to the Patriot by being a little wider and taller than that model, but still fits into smaller parking spaces just the same.

An upright seating position in front, combined with the rather low beltline, adds up to great visibility, and back-seat space is adequate for a couple of adults. Cargo space is 18.5 cubic feet with the rear seatback up, or nearly 51 cubic feet with it flipped forward. The Renegade offers a rollback cloth roof that can be opened or removed entirely.

While several engines are offered around the world, U.S.-bound Renegades are powered by a choice of two engines, each with its own no-choice transmission pairing. A 160-hp, turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine is matched to a 6-speed manual, while the 184-hp 2.4-liter gets a 9-speed automatic transmission. The Renegade features an independent rear suspension with frequency-selective shocks from Koni, which provide a good balance of handling and ride. There's even a feature to help the anti-lock brakes detect rough roads so they can react accordingly.

Off-road ability is the selling point on a lot of Jeep vehicles, and the Renegade holds true to the reputation in a way that might be unexpected. You can even order a Renegade with sufficient equipment to carry off-road ability Jeep deems worthy of its Trail Rated badge—the Trailhawk model comes with the so-called "Active Drive 2" system, which adds a low range, a 20:1 crawl ratio, skid plates, increased ground clearance, and hill descent control, among other things. Meanwhile, there's also an Active Drive 1 for those who simply want an all-weather all-wheel-drive system. Front-drive is the standard layout.

Renegades also offer the latest from Chrysler's infotainment options. The infotainment system can read incoming text messages aloud and even send dictated messages. The service is integrated with Sirius Travel Link, which provides weather, traffic, and other info. There's also integration with smartphone apps and services like Yelp.

The Renegade went on sale in early 2015, and few changes were made for the 2016 model year. For 2017, standard keyless ignition and available high-intensity discharge headlamps arrived slightly after the start of the model year. The Latitude trim got a 7.0-inch touchscreen as part of the Uconnect package, the top-level Limited added keyless entry, and automatic high beams became a new option.

very easy to get in and out.

I have the 9 speed auto, with the power seats. My Wife & I both like the car very much, as it is easy to get in & out, this is important as we are both older than 75.

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October 28, 2016

2016 Jeep Renegade 4WD 4-Door Sport

Pleased as punch right now!

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I have only had it for three weeks but for the most part i am very happy with it. There seems to be a herky jerkiness[yes a phrase straight out of an automotive magazine] when accelerating and a slightly...
I have only had it for three weeks but for the most part i am very happy with it. There seems to be a herky jerkiness[yes a phrase straight out of an automotive magazine] when accelerating and a slightly bouncy drive but i am an old fashion guy that believes a vehicle should still be an adventure to drive. It has comfortable seating and yes i have sat in the back and on short trips i would be able to sit back there comfortably. But for the most part the back seats were made for the slender in build of which i am not! I was not sure how comfortable i would be with push button starting but i rather enjoy the convenience. Just not sure of the procedures in extreme cold weather. It can get down to -20 here in the dead of winter. Also i was a bit upset that a CD player did not come with this, but i am told that will soon be a thing of the past! I am not much for writing reviews so i am sure i missed some things but maybe other Renegade owners can leave comments. + More »

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November 19, 2015

2016 Jeep Renegade 4WD 4-Door Latitude

Super cute and fun to drive!

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Traded my 2003 grand cherokee. So this was a downsize for our family of 4, but plenty of room for us! Better on gas, cute, plenty of spunky get up and go. I have no complaints!